A Fangirl lives a thousand lives.

Main menu

Monthly Archives: July 2014

Post navigation

July has been a wonderful month for books. I have managed to read so much. My working pattern will have contributed to that as I have done one week on, one week off. I had a lot of holiday to use up before I finish here next Thursday (the countdown has begun!)

I have read a wide range of books this month from children’s books to cosy-crime, general fiction to epic fantasy and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I took part in the Booktubeathon, the aim of which was to read 7 books in 7 days. I finished book 7 on day 8 but in my eyes that’s still success.

Do you ever struggle to get in to a book so much that you eventually reach the ‘I can go no further’ point and give up on it?

This has happened to me on more than one occasion and it always leaves me feeling like a bad reader. I don’t like to leave a book unfinished but sometimes I cannot find the will to continue.

My Mum is a massive Stephen King fan, Cell is one of her favourite books by him and so on her recommendation I gave it a go. Unfortunately, I could not get into it. His writing style was awkward to read; a lot of repetition of phrases which I find really grating and the story just did not capture me. I know there will be many of you out there shouting at your screens right now, defending the writing genius that is Stephen King, my Mum looked like she wanted to throttle me when I said this to her! Over the last couple of years since I tried to read Cell my Mum has tried time and again to get me to give it another go, or at least try one of his other books but I am yet to do so. My previous experience has put me off.

Recently I was reading Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira when again I found myself giving up on a book. It was really slow, I wasn’t connecting with the characters and I was really having to push myself to read it. I was complaining about the book being boring and how I was just going to admit defeat and stop reading it when my dad came out with some words of wisdom, he said:

“It may be boring but someone has worked hard to write that, the least you can do is take the time to read it. You don’t have to like it you just have to give it a fair chance. Soldier on, Shelley.

This film is based on the worldwide bestselling book Divergent by Veronica Roth. I absolutely loved the book, the complete trilogy is wonderful. If you haven’t read it then I definitely recommend that you do.

I saw the film back in April when it was in the cinema, it was a fantastic film. As far as book-to-movie-adaptations go this isn’t half bad. Obvioulsy the infamous ‘butter-knife’ scene is not included, but they have made the film a 12 rating; to gain the biggest audience I am sure. Shailene Woodley makes a good Tris and Theo James is drop-dead-gorgeous as Four. I definitely need me some more Theo James!

“SINNER is the book that every Maggie Stiefvater and paranormal romance fan has been waiting for! SINNER is a companion book to the #1 bestselling SHIVER, LINGER and FOREVER trilogy. You thought it ended with FOREVER, but there’s another story to tell – the one of Cole and Isabel…and this time they’re in LA. There will be wolves, and there will be yearning. But most importantly there will be love. And no one does love like Maggie.”

A short synopsis:

Cole and Isabel are both in L.A. Isabel is living with her Mum, Aunt and cousin and working in a stylish boutique whilst Cole is ‘back from the dead’ and promoting himself by doing a reality TV show. The show is to focus on the making of his new album, and be shown on a notorious web channel.

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday theme is Authors I Own the Most Books Of .

Patricia Cornwell – 21 books – All of the Kay Scarpetta series apart from the most recent one, plus the tie-in cookbook that she did, which is brilliant!

P.C Cast – 19 books – I own books 1 to 10 in the House of Night series, but I have read them all, plus The Fledgling Handbook. I also have all of her Goddess of Partholon series which is a fantastic fantasy/mythical/magical read. And I have 4 of her Goddess Summoning novels which I absolutely adore.

Most people would do anything to get into the Magisterium and pass the Iron Trial.

Not Callum Hunt.

Call has been told his whole life that he should never trust a magician. And so he tries his best to do his worst – but fails at failing. Now he must enter the Magisterium. It’s a place that’s both sensational and sinister. And Call realizes it has dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future. The Iron Trial is just the beginning. Call’s biggest test is still to come . . .”

It begins as an assignment for English class: write a letter to a dead person – any dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain – he died young, and so did Laurel’s sister May – so maybe he’ll understand a bit of what Laurel is going through. Soon Laurel is writing letters to lots of dead people – Janis Joplin, Heath Ledger, River Phoenix, Amelia Earhart …it’s like she can’t stop…But much as Laurel might find writing the letters cathartic, she can’t keep real life out forever. The ghosts of her past won’t be contained between the lines of a page, and she will have to come to terms with growing up, the agony of losing a beloved sister, and the realisation that only you can shape your destiny.

A short synopsis:

Laurel is grieving for her sister, May, and blaming herself for her death. She writes letters to famous people that died young and were troubled whilst they were alive. In these letters she talks about her life without May and how much it hurts her to be in a world without her sister.

“An Army of beasts is gathering in the north. They will invade our lands…Enslave our people…And spread their terror to the far corners of the earth.”

A short synopsis:

After the death of his master John Gregory, Tom Ward is no longer the apprentice, he is now the Chipenden Spook. After the battle with the Fiend the Dark is seeming very quiet but a new threat is coming. The Kobalos. Beasts from another land, determined to travel to The County, kill all of the males and enslave the females.

This was really tough, I’d love all of my fictional favourites to be on the island with me but I have narrowed it down.

Harry, Ron and Hermione – The magic trio count as just one space, right? Surely they have like a shared passport or something? Their magic would be extremely useful on a desert island. If Hermione brought the magic tent they used in The Deathly Hallows then that’s the accommodation sorted! Her enchanted bag would be great too, all those potions etc inside. Ron would be there for the amusement factor, he always makes me laugh and I do have a bit of a crush on him! Harry is The Boy Who Lived, he has survived far worse than a desert island!

Daenerys Stormborn from A Song of Ice and Fire – She is one of my favourite fictional characters ever so she’s an absolute must, especially if she brought her dragons with her!

Rose Hathaway from Vampire Academy – She’s just badass and I’d love for her to train me like a Guardian, keep me fit and strong on the island.

Bridget Jones – Just for the humour, I’d love to hear the stories of her life first-hand, she could tell me all the juicy details about Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver. We can sing ‘Like A Wirgin’ and do shots of vodka.

Jon Snow from A Song of Ice and Fire – I have a serious crush on The Lord Commander and maybe I could help heal his broken heart (wink wink). If he can manage the Wall and keep Westeros safe from what is Beyond the Wall then I trust him wholeheartedly to manage the protection detail for our camp.

Colt from The Witches of the Glass Castle – Serious eye candy and a Hunter, perfect for desert island survival.

Meggie from the Inkheart trilogy – would love to hear her tell stories around the campfire and perhaps she could write us into a new story so that we could go on an adventure or two.

Moon-Face from The Magic Faraway Tree – it would be a childhood dream come true.

Sherlock Holmes – just a fascinating character and he could tell me about all of the cases that he solved, teach me the art of profiling, after all he is the original profiler.

Tyrion Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire – for his witticisms, he would be very entertaining to listen to and he could recommend me some good books too.

“Kyla’s memory has been erased, her personality wiped blank, her memories lost for ever. She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance – as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?”